Describes the complicated love and affection shared by two straight males

Has “Brokeback Mountain” opened my eyes to see a dominate theme of bromance in film history or is it just because I am getting older. Not that some movies are quite obvious with the bromance via gay subtext or outright gay movies, but some are a bit more subtle.

We expect Superheros to be worshiped by the male and female sex equally. Watching “Superman” with the crowds getting all excited when he is near or sport films with a male lead being hero worshiped and envied we do see these solo characters without a strong and equal supportive male pal.

What makes a great Bromance film? Two main male characters that have shared goals, shared experiences, complimentary personalities, unspoken dedication, each other’s priorities and all females roles are either secondary or non existent.

10. Reservoir Dogs

1. All male teamwork
2. All male violent
3. Frequent anti-women jokes
4. Failure at their job (emasculating)
5. Constant reference to their individual male member

Even the unimportant dialogs has a twinge of lovers tease:

Mr. White: Shit.

Mr. Blonde: Thanks.

Freddy Newandyke: What?

Mr Brown: Dick dick dick dick dick dick dick dick.

Nice Guy Eddie: Is that a toothpick in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? Mr. Blonde: …Its a toothpick you idiot..

9. MIB

1. Will Smith’s character was chosen because of his ability, even more than those in the military? Someone’s got a man crush.
2. All women are androgynous. Even the minor roles women are made stronger, demanding and in no need of a man.
3. You are closeted completely from your family, friends and loved one.
4. Male character have very similar names Kay and Jay, how cute.
5. It is all about the job, partners and nothing else.

8. Point Break

1. Have to learn to surf (be more of a man) to infiltrate
2. Wimpy beach boy saved by butch handsome man
3. Same beach boy (now with a gun) saved by same handsome man (in disguise)
4. Look into my eyes . . . don’t shoot me.
5. Sex Sky dive hold, landing on his back would have been sufficient.

7. Tango and Cash

1. Argue like women
2. Shower together with conversation, intimacy and sex references
3. The butch/femme equation
4. Prison companionship

6. Lethal Weapon

1. Non related but have family like familiarity
2. Sleeping, just sleeping, together is not a problem
3. When they are individually in trouble, they do not call the authorities or confide in the women in their lives, they go to the each other.
4. The entire Lethal Weapon series a true teamwork. “Never one without the other”
5. Bathroom scene, willing to die with the man.

5. Rush Hour

The taglines in promotion of Rush Hour not only hints at a bromace but leaves out any doubt of a continual relationship.

The Fastest Hands In The East Meet The Biggest Mouth In The West.

Pals Forever. If they can get past today.

This classic is the interracial bromance, second to the television series ‘Scrubs’, with an tough Oriental and funny skinny African-American. Both have their assets that bring the duo to a full force in dealing with the bad guys. Yet both are just as comfortable fighting against each other like an old couple. Throughout the whole movie the couple like arguments are the most redeeming parts.

When they are not acting like an old couple or actually fighting bad guys, the bromance is obvious.

Lee: We can hang in my crib. I will show you my ‘hood.

Carter: I’ve been lookin’ for your sweet and sour chicken ass.

The sequels do not put a halt with the bromance and accelerates with more ‘tongue in cheek’ dialogs.

Lee: You are a civilian. In Hong Kong, *I* am Michael Jackson and *you* are Toto.
Lee: That’s my CD! Don’t you ever touch a Chinese man’s CD!

Carter: Did you see that?
Lee: He likes you.
Carter: I ain’t shopping with you no more.

Carter: Holy Mother of Jesus! She’s a man! I went to second base with a damn Frenchman!

Only can a bromance have the communication, forgiveness, macho love and hold all your secrets. Rush Hour is a humorous male to male non sexual chemistry, a bromance, maybe that is why is it funny.

4. Bad Boys

1. Extreme loyalty
2. More together than with the opposite sex
3. Intimate conversations
4. Will risk life and limb together
5. Actually say the words love in reference to each other

Mike Lowrey: What the hell are you doin’?
Marcus Burnett: Keepin’ my shit quick.
Mike Lowrey: Oh, I see. You aren’t gettin any at home, so you got a lot of extra energy. Go ahead, burn it off.

3. Butch and Sundance

1. Homoerotic subtexts
2. Sex at the exact same time, even though it might be with women, they seem to get the urge just being together.
3. Being bad together, seems to be a positive thing in these bromance movies
4. Extreme loyalty
5. Till the death together
6. Butch / Sundance

2. Hot Fuzz

Nicholas Angel is the best cop in London as a result Angel’s superiors and peers are so jealous the only solution is to send him out to a small country town, Sandford. We find the secret the Nicholas success is simply to be a police officer all the time. Even his ex-girlfriend, Janine (Blanchett), says to Nicholas that he will never care about anyone as much as you care about police work.

Janine’s assessment was wrong, it just wasn’t going to a woman to ‘turn off’ his police brain. It was Danny Butterman, the overeager police officer who is obsessed the cop bromance movies. Danny’s only reference to being a ‘real officer’ is through the the movies, but it is on deaf ears. Nicholas has never seen a movie, ever.

With Nicholas never touching a pint with a ritual of cranberry juice, to the annoyance of the pub owners, is constantly prodded by Danny to put a few down. Danny not Janine has taken the energy to really get to know Nicholas with bombardment of questions about the most important aspect to Nicholas, police work.

Nicholas slips neatly in to a mentor while Danny gets under his skin a good foundation to a strong bromance.

Nicholas and Danny are returning from the pub, Danny like a nervous girl trys for male bonding nightcap;

Danny Butterman: Fancy a coffee?
Nicholas Angel: No thanks, don’t drink it.
Danny Butterman: Cup of tea?
Nicholas Angel: I don’t drink caffeine after midday.
Danny Butterman: A beer?
Nicholas Angel: [pauses] Yeah, go on then!

Danny takes this opportunity to show Nicholas his huge, massive DVD collection. When the doors open to the media closet Nicholas finally opens his eyes and sits up like a kid in a candy store. All those things Danny talks about are there in his collection.

1. Brian Song

Another promotional poster with each male looking into the same direction. This depicts to the movie goer that this is a true bromance and that the women in the film really are only secondary to the story. In fact, the movie could have been without casting one female and it would have retained the macho bromance only seen in sport films in the 70′s. Heck, “Brokeback Mountain” had female characters, but, the promotional posters of Brokeback had two cowboy hat wearing men looking in opposite directions. Posters alone, Brian Song is an absolute bromance compared to the clash of wills in Brokeback.

This the ultimate of bromance. The two male leads Brian and Gale, yes a man name Gale. The dialog is filled with ‘couple-like’ conversations.

Brian Piccolo: I think I know what’s wrong with me.
Gale Sayers: Yeah, what’s that?
Brian Piccolo: I’m pregnant.

What man would feel comfortable to have such a personal joke between them or even publicly saying you love one another?

Gale Sayers: I love Brian Piccolo

The Huntington Backpack Index Survey is an online opinion poll sent to more than 600 elementary, middle and high school students located in the primary Huntington Bank service region of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Respondents were asked to provide their opinions or preferences on a number of questions related to back-to-school materials and their respective costs. Respondents could opt to skip any questions that did not apply to them, or if they did not have an opinion or preference for that specific question.

So does this make any parent uneasy?  That not only elementary or middle school student have access to online surveys but during school hours?  Did I miss something?  This actually makes me uneasy.

This also brings up an issue of “duh!” . . . do you really think a 7 year old knows the value of money!  Heck, if you give a 5 year old  a $10 bill they think it is just like having $100.

1. Loner
   • Hancock is a loner. Like all the best comic books solitude is the price for being a hero.
2. Origin Story
   • We find out a little about who John Hancock, except his real name. Departs from the original formula by not revealing origins until the last quarter of the movie.
3. Nemesis
   • Unlike most superhero movies there is not conventional nemesis. The convention is filled by a disgruntle but ineffectual criminals that are behind bars because of Hancock.
4. Weakness
   • Hancock does have a “kryptonite”, which isn’t revealed by the nemesis.
5. Gay Subtext
   • Hancock did a little too much protesting when a costume was presented.
   • When Hancock was shown comic books as a template for his life it was all scoffed off as “gay”.
   • Hancock tucked in a drunk male friend when the wife was capable of doing it herself and with a drunk slur Hancock was warned not to take advantage or take nothing more than his shoes off.

What I did like about Hancock:

• Special affects.
  • Nothing bothers me more when special affects details are not tended properly. Every detail was done well, even the air stream from flying to bullets ricocheting.
• Concept
  • A good story. I am a huge fan of the “Eternals” and this played on my comic book knowledge. I just wonder if others, who are not comic book readers, enjoyed it on the same level.
• Moral of the Story
  • Got to love those movies that make selfish behavior a bad thing. Too many times films, especially those made via Hollywood, glamorize money and power. *Cough* *Cough* Jumper *Cough* This movie is without penthouses, glamor shots and over priced sports cars.

What I did not like about Hancock:

• Calling me stupid
  • The movie over explained everything. I am intelligent enough to understand when something is explained to me once. I listen. Over and Over again Hancock explained and reexplained in greater detail with very very very boring dialog why two characters can’t be near each other.
  • After the first explanation I was already wondering what effect it would have on the characters. But then the second explanation came without a flashback, just more information that was not helpful or entertaining. It actually was the lowest point in the movie.
• Where are my mutton-chops?
  • Even cheap television series take the opportunity to show the past when characters are talking about the past. Why not show the characters in a montage including 300 BC, Middle Ages, Dark Ages, 1600s, 1800s and even 80 years ago. I would have loved to see Hancock with mutton-chops and knickers.
  • The movie was cheap no allowing even a visual snippet into the past. Instead . . . boring dialog.
  • Never tell when you can show.

The violence was tamed, for the most part, and limited. The violence was very cartoon-y with bullets pinging, head in asses and men thrown out the window without seeing consequences.

I just wish the movie theater spelled our ticket stub right . . . they printed “Handcock”.

LinuxWorld Conference & Expo – San Francisco 2008
Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA
Aug 4, 2008 – Aug 7, 2008
http://www.linuxworldexpo.com/

Highlights of the Conference & Expo

• The Linux Garage will showcase the latest and coolest gadgets based on embedded Linux, from PDAs and hand-held computers, to mobile phones and audio/video entertainment devices.
• Embedded Linux will have presentations and panels will address a diverse range of topics including development and life-cycles of Linux-based devices, user interfaces, embedded virtualization and other enabling technologies, and case studies from key applications areas.
• The Open Voting Consortium will have a unique opportunity to use an open source voting system to cast a mock ballot for the 2008 Presidential election, as well as witness how the votes are tallied and available for recount using this system.
  
• Golden Penguin Bowl three (3) geeks match will line up against three nerds and match intellectual wits in this battle for who can recall the most inane trivia regarding sci-fi, high-tech, Linux and all things geek. Always irreverent and massively entertaining, watch host Jeremy Allison make fools of the contestants, audience, (in)famous companies and, most importantly himself. The winners garner bragging rights and the coveted golden penguin.

Passport Conference Package Include ($1500):

• Access to all sessions in the Mobile Linux Conference
• Admission to Access Developer Day
• Admission to Wind River Developer Day
• Admission to MOTODev at LinuxWorld
• Three days of Exhibit Hall Access
• Keynote Presentations
• Feature Presentations
• Birds-of-a-Feather Meetings
• Tutorials or Labs
• Bonus — Access to the entire NGDC Conference Program for FREE! (An additional 70+ sessions!)
  

“With home prices falling, unit sales slowing and foreclosure and auction properties in abundance, home shoppers have an opportunity to find their dream home or their next real estate investment, . . . Overstock.com’s new real estate search application allows the value conscious Overstock.com customer to find great real estate deals.”

The site that exclusively sold liquidating excess inventory of unwanted computers, furniture, clothing . . . etc will offer to search for Distressed, Foreclosure, and Auction (both at Overstock and other internet outlets).

I did a black search on Overstock Real Estate . . .

307,059 Forclosure Homes

10,294 Distressed Homes

958 Homes Under Auctions

686 Homes Located on Online Auctions

If this is a representation of what is happening around the nation, it is surely a great opportunity for those have something extra saved in the bank. To buy cheap and hold out for the next few years to become a mini Rockefeller in the year 2010.

Ebay has 942 homes read for bid, Reality Bid 630 homes looking to kick out ghosts and there are more sites that are open for those who have a bit of cash laying around. When will you take you pennies and turn a little town from Bedford Falls is called Pottersville.

This is only opening a the gap between the middle class and the 10% wealthy to be large as a canyon. The new unofficial national anthon will be:

You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don’t you call me, ’cause I can’t go;
I owe my soul to the company store.

Can I buy a home with my Monopoly money?

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